Proverbs 14

1The wisest of women builds her house,But folly tears it down with its own hands.

2One who walks a straight path fears GOD;But one whose ways are devious shows scorn.

3In the mouth of a fool is a rod of haughtiness,But the lips of the wise protect them.

4If there are no oxen the crib is clean,But a rich harvest comes through the strength of the ox.

5An honest witness will not lie;A false witness testifies lies.

6Scoffers seek wisdom in vain,But knowledge comes easily to the intelligent.

7Keep your distance from a dull man,For you will not learn wise speech.

8It is the wisdom of a clever man to understand his course;But the stupidity of dullards is delusion.

9Reparations mediate between fools,Between the upright, good will.

10The heart alone knows its bitterness,And no outsider can share in its joy.

11The house of the wicked will be demolished,But the tent of the upright will flourish.

12The road ahead may seem right,But in the end it can be a road to death.

13The heart may ache even in laughter,And joy may end in grief.

14Those who are unprincipled reap the fruits of their ways;The good man, of his deeds. as from ʻll; cf. Hos. 12.3.

15The simple believe anything;The clever ponders their course.

16A sage is diffident and shuns evil,But a dullard rushes in confidently.

17A hothead commits folly;A man of intrigues will be hated.

18Folly is the lot of the simple,But the clever glory in knowledge.

19Evildoers are brought low before the good,So are the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

20The poor are despised even by their peers,But the rich have many friends.

21Those who despise their fellows are wrong;Those who show pity for the lowly are happy.

22Surely those who plan evil go astray,While those who plan good earn steadfast love.

23From all toil there is some gain,But idle chatter is pure loss.

24The ornament of the wise is their wealth;The stupidity of dullards is stupidity.

25A truthful witness saves lives;A lying witness [spreads] deceit.

26Fear of GOD is a stronghold,A refuge for one’s children.

27Fear of GOD is a fountain of life,Enabling one to avoid deadly snares.

28A numerous people is the glory of a king;Without a nation a ruler is ruined.

29Patience results in much understanding;Impatience gets folly as its portion.

30A calm disposition gives bodily health;Passion is rot to the bones.

31One who withholds what is due to the poor affronts their Maker;One who shows pity for the needy shows honor.

32The wicked fall by their own evil;The righteous find security in their death.

33Wisdom rests quietly in the mind of a prudent person,But among dullards it makes itself known.

34Righteousness exalts a nation;Sin is a reproach to any people.

35The king favors a capable servant;He rages at an incompetent one.